When does the 80km/h speed limit apply to trucks?

by [email protected] November 19, 2015

November 19, 2015

Question:

I was asked if the speed limit below applies to an unloaded 22 wheeler doing 110kph on a highway. The GOOGLE search that is listed below your web excerpt suggests that a horse and trailer together weigh 16 tons which would mean that the 80kph limit applies.

If the horse alone weighs 10 tons then it may also not exceed 80kph.

Is my logic, and are my facts, correct?

Regards

Speed Limits And The Law

SPEED LIMITS AND THE LAW

GENERAL SPEED LIMITS in terms of the National Road Traffic Act, 1989 and its Regulations are:

SPEED LIMITS AND THE LAWSPEEDS

60 km/h on a public road within an urban area
100 km/h on public road outside an urban area which is not a freeway; and
120 km/h on every freeway.

A maximum speed limit of 80 km/h for a goods vehicle with a GVM exceeding 9t, a combination vehicle consisting of a goods vehicle (i.e. drawing vehicle and one or two trailers) of which the sum of the GVM of the goods vehicle and of the trailer(s) exceeds 9t and an articulated vehicle of which the GCM exceeds 9t.

Provision is also made that certain vehicles (minibuses, buses and goods vehicles) shall not exceed the speed limits imposed on tyres by SABS 1550 or as approved by the manufacturer of such tyres.

Answers from GOOGLE on what a 22 wheeler weigh?:

How much does an 18 wheeler weigh?

Answer 1: a truck was 23,000lbs. a trailer weighs around 12,000lbs. and totally loaded can haul a max of 80,000lbs….without a special permit

Answer 2: Really depends on the trucks configuration & the cargo, in my case I drove a 48′ flatbed hauling steel coils with the weight of the cargo anywhere from 46,000- 52,000 pounds not including the 12,000lbs of the trailer by itself & another 20,000lbs or so for the tractor. The axles on most 18 wheeler trailers are adjustable, meaning that they can be slid forwards or backwards to redistribute the weight. All states have max loaded weight ratings usually no more than 80,000lbs.

Answer:

Yes. Any goods vehicle with a GVM or truck-tractor with a GCM of more than 9 000 kg must adhere to the 80 km/h. It does not matter if it is loaded or not. The GVM is the maximum capacity not the mass the vehicle weighs at the time.